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Alas, Christmas time is nearly upon me and I don't have a single thing wrapped. This includes all of my purchases for loved ones to be opened Christmas morning, as well as the principal photography for the up and coming mega blockbuster, Zombies During Third Period... Again. Despite the best efforts by cast and crew alike, shooting on the movie is one thing that will not be wrapped in time for Christmas. I guess that Zombies really are the gift that just keep on giving. However, to say that we will not be able to finish shooting the movie on the date that has been typed on our schedule, is not to say that things are not going well. I am confident that the images that we have captured (in brilliant 24p High Definition), are going to cut together and form a picture that everyone involved will be quite proud of. And despite all indications to the contrary, we have been able to answer one of the most important questions that has been plaguing us on this shoot. "Will there …

I can well remember one of my all time favorite bits done by comedian Dennis Miller. It was a part of his opening monologue on his HBO talk show. The topic of this particular show was overeating in the American culture. Without wanting to get on a "rant", the phrase which would proceed every rant in his monologue, Miller talked about how super sizing, extra large portions, and the ready availabilities of Cinnabon in this country, were causing the population of this great nation of ours to have increasingly generous portions themselves. Of course, the people themselves were unaware of the effects of their over indulgence. Until one day while walking in the mall they happen to catch a glimpse of themselves in a full length mirror and think, "Well, that's odd. Not only has that sea cow learned to walk around upright, but it's wearing the exact same clothes that I put on this morning". I laughed and laughed. It's a good bit. Bravo, Mr. Miller, brav…

I must confess to you, gentle reader, that ever since I have entered this crazy game of filmmaking, I have had but one goal. To win an Academy Award and make boatloads of money. However, recognizing that this goal is a tad to the lofty side, I have learned to settle for smaller, more realistic goals. One such goal is to have a film screen at the independent film festival at Comic-Con. You say that you have never heard of this....... how do you say, Comic-Con? Well, to put it in the simplest of terms, it is a very large comic book convention. To explain it using the terms of a comic book fan, it is nothing short of paradise, or so I am told. You see, I have never had the pleasure of attending Comic Con. Since I am being honest, and confessions seem to abound in this particular blog, part of my desire to participate in the Comic-Con independent film festival, is to have a semi adult reason to go to this giant playground. Only at Comic-Con could I truly let my inner geek go abs…

At some point or another, gentle reader, we have all been asked the age old question. "If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound"? It is supposed to be a thought provoking question. It's purpose is to make us think about the way we view the world around us, and give that world view a closer look. Now, being the son of a science teacher, I always thought the answer to that particular question was a fairly obvious "yes". Sound is produced by vibrations moving through the air. Those vibrations are then sensed by the inner workings of the ear and are in turn, processed by the brain which then categorizes and interprets them. The fact that no one is close enough to the falling tree to sense the vibrations it's falling creates on their eardrum, does not mean that the vibrations weren't present. So, yes it makes a sound. The true question is not whether or not the tree makes a sound, but rather, what purpose d…

The road to becoming a real live, honest to goodness filmmaker can often seem like a lonely one. To many people, the idea of making a film, writing a book, recording a CD, or most other artistic endeavors for that matter, seems like a magical process that only certain people with certain magical skills can achieve. As a result, when the aspiring filmmaker tells those around him about his aspiring dream, many people don't know how to react. Some furrow their brow in genuine confusion. "You want to what?......... Make a film you say? Are you allowed to do that"? Other people laugh. Not because they are trying to crush one's spirit, but because they think that said one, must be joking. Others who might have been tempted to laugh, but can tell by the now struggling filmmaker's face that this is not in fact a laughing matter, will just nod and say how interesting that is before quickly changing the subject. It is not that those around the budding filmmaker ha…

Well, it seems like only last week that I was sitting here musing over the laws of physics and how they could effect the filmmaking process. Overcoming the inertia of sitting still and turning filmmaking dreams into filmmaking nightmares....... I mean realities, is one of the most difficult obstacles for the fledgeling filmmaker to overcome. A contributing factor to this most diabolical of phenomenon, is none other than "The Problem of Perfection". I can hear your voice even now, gentle reader. "What is this, how do you say...... problem of perfection"? Simply put, the problem of perfection comes into effect when said would be filmmaker, is paralyzed into inaction by the fear that their would be film, will not be perfect, or great, or pretty good, or even watchable. When faced with the idea of making something bad, some filmmakers will opt instead to make nothing. Such action, will in turn take away one of the key ingredients necessary to becoming a filmmaker…

As Frankie Laine sat, putting pen to paper, telling the tale of what it was like to herd cattle across the open plains, I doubt that he had the art of filmmaking in mind. However, that doesn't mean there isn't something to be learned from his old west ballad /theme song. To use another old west phrase, "There's gold in them there..... song". As I continue on my journey to become an honest to goodness, real live filmmaker, I have noticed that I often fall victim to the laws of physics. To make matters worse, you and I both know, gentle reader, you cannot change the laws of physics. Scottie said it all the time to Captain Kirk on Star Trek, so you know it has to be true. "What laws of physics?", you might ask. "And what does that have to do with driving cattle"? Good questions all, gentle reader. Let me explain. To date, the largest obstacle that I have had to overcome in my journey to become a honest to goodness, real live f…

Welcome back gentle reader, has it seemed as long for you as it has for me? Okay, probably not, but it is still good to see you. A long time ago I heard the phrase, "The only difference between men and boys, is the price of their toys". Well, I have come to tell you, gentle reader, that after much consideration I think that statement might be true. The only thing I would add is, after a certain age, the items we seek after cease to be called "toys" and start to be called "tools". These tools can take many different forms. For many men, their expensive toys are actual tools. They take the form of drills, compressors, nail guns, and this really cool saw that cut a car in half as I was watching it on TV. For the aspiring filmmaker, tools can come in the form of cameras, lights, and computer software. Technology is constantly improving and singing the siren's song to any filmmaker within earshot. It promises the aspiring filmmaker that major stu…

Hello. Let me first start by welcoming you, gentle reader, to my blog. My name is Matt, and this blog is going to be an account of my efforts to become a real, live, honest to goodness filmmaker. Kevin Smith was once quoted as saying that you become a filmmaker by "Being a filmmaker". Now, while that advice appears a little vauge, and may seem to vere toward the useless side, at least on the surface, I think that what he was trying to say was, in order to be a filmmaker you must believe that you ARE a filmmaker. There is no degree, no certificate, nor power ring that you can achieve that will suddenly make people stand up and take notice that you not only are a maker of films, but have in fact achieved the title of "Filmmaker"tm. If you think of yourself as one, you are one. It does not matter the quanity, or maybe even the quality of your work. No matter whether you shoot on 35mm, Super16, MiniDV, or VHS, if you have the desire to tell a story through the …